Atrial fibrillation linked to increased dementia risk

People with atrial fibrillation, a common form of irregular heartbeat, may have an elevated risk of dementia, new research suggests.

Scientists at Group Health Research Institute studied a group of 3,045 older people, with an average age of 74 years, who were dementia-free and had no history of stroke.

At the start of the study, 4.3 per cent of participants had atrial fibrillation, and a further 12.2 per cent developed an irregular heartbeat during the course of the seven-year study.

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Nearly one in five people developed dementia during the study period and the researchers found that those with atrial fibrillation had a 40 to 50 per cent higher risk of dementia than those without the condition.

The risk of dementia was still raised in patients who had not suffered a stroke over the course of the study.

Lead researcher Dr Sascha Dublin revealed: 'Before our prospective cohort study, we knew that atrial fibrillation can cause stroke, which can lead to dementia.

The findings are published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society and follow a recent study by scientists at Oxford University, who found that B vitamins may help to slow mental decline in certain people with mild memory problems.

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